Toilets...

[iangrant]

Don't you hate them, just as the weekend was looking to be spanner free for once the aft heads, electric, decided to go on strike.

Checked 24 volts to the switch which is ok.

The question is, do I try to rejuvinate the old macerator, which is looking rusty with rusty water trickling out.

Replace it, with the pain of sourcing one, the new one looks like a different fitting (Jabsco) looks like 150 quid.

Buy new toilet, 250 quid.

But manual toilet 100 quid but then need to re-plumb outlet pipe, which will scrape any remaining skin off knuckles

Ian

 

[jfm]

I know I sound like a broken record on this but imho there is only one way to have a trouble free life where toilets are concerned and that is to rip it out, rip them all out, and fit Tecma Silence Plus (or Tecma Silence, if Silence plus wont fit). Nothing blocks these, and they happen to look nice too. Available in UK from Aquafax in Luton

Catch is they are about £475. But depends how much you value wasting weekends fixing the other makes of toilet

 

[iangrant]

Easy and quick option

Just down't road in porto solento they have a 24v jabsco at 250 quid, same fittings, so easiest option is to unscrew old one, screw in new one, add old one to the ever increasing pile in the top shed of bits of Alice Too.

Then one cold winters day sort it all out, attempt to fix and sell as much as poss.

Thanks JFM, they look like good toilets but the pain of adaption is overwhelming.

Ian

 

[aquapower]

Just throw the Jabsco away and buy the Tecma, the swap is not as bas as it looks and although the Tecma is more money you will find it will last a lot longer and you wont be repairing it every other weekend

 

[jfm]

Just down't road in porto solento they have a 24v jabsco at 250 quid, same fittings, so easiest option is to unscrew old one, screw in new one, add old one to the ever increasing pile in the top shed of bits of Alice Too.

Then one cold winters day sort it all out, attempt to fix and sell as much as poss.

Thanks JFM, they look like good toilets but the pain of adaption is overwhelming.

Ian

It's hard to know about the intricacies of fitting stuff to your boat sitting here in my armchair (!) but I'm with Aquapower - the swap ought to be simple. All you do with the tecma is connect freshwater flush pipe 25mm (via a solenoid valve that comes in the kit) and waste pipe 38mm, both flex hose, and the control panel, and job is done. The only times Tecma wont fit are when the loo is mounted on a plinth/shelf, and the footprint of the Tecma is too big so you have to do floor joinery. Not that the Tecma has an especially large footprint. But if that isn't a problem for you the swap to Tecma is worthwhile; it is miles better than anything Jabsco make and you will never have to spanner it again. SWMBO will think you're a total hero

 

[DavidJ]

Totally agree with Tecma recommendation but have a close look at the installation. They need space underneath the plinth which some boats just don't have. I bought one for my Sealine S37 and sadly there just isn't enough under plinth space. Aquafax are an excellent company and gave me a full refund.

 

[jfm]

Totally agree with Tecma recommendation but have a close look at the installation. They need space underneath the plinth which some boats just don't have. I bought one for my Sealine S37 and sadly there just isn't enough under plinth space. Aquafax are an excellent company and gave me a full refund.

It depends. The ones that sit on a plinth need a bit of space under the plinth, but the ones designed to sit on floor level (for shower rooms that have a flat floor and no plinth) don't need any space underneath. The website gives good drawings anyhow

 

[aquapower]

Totally agree with Tecma recommendation but have a close look at the installation. They need space underneath the plinth which some boats just don't have. I bought one for my Sealine S37 and sadly there just isn't enough under plinth space. Aquafax are an excellent company and gave me a full refund.

They are available in various heights and its only the low one which requires 100mm under the plinth, all the others sit on top. There are also ones with different angle backs. Am quite surprised you could not get one to fit.

 

[iangrant]

"Ought" to be simple?

"the swap ought to be simple. All you do with the tecma is connect freshwater flush pipe 25mm (via a solenoid valve that comes in the kit) and waste pipe 38mm"

That is probably the biggest word in the dictionary -- ought --

Well that's a shed load of stuff and if all added up with the solenoid I could buy two jabsco's and carry one as a spare for a 10 minute swap out, or 5 manual ones, imagine every locker with a spare bog in it, mind you I'd have to thin out some of the tools first, three socket sets four sets of spanners, at all!

Then there is the "connect fresh water"...... now taken that when Mrs G can easily use 50 litres for a shower; water is a precious commodity (world record 57 litres for one shower).

So narrowed the decision down to the Jabsco electric, straight swap, considered a manual one but I'd need to re-plumb the waste pipe as it has a reducer/non return valve 15mm ish to 38mm ish and the sea-cock on the 38mm outlet is probably and inch and two hundreths of six quarters witworth and in a place a double jointed ferret couldn't get to,


Thanks for the advice on the goodie bogs chaps but after all that work and expense I'd still get "oh it's still a bit noisy, wrong shape, wrong colour, wrong shape lid"

Talking of solenoids I've still got to replace one in front of the stbd engine plumbed in copper for the screen washers. I've whispered nicely to it hanging over the engine, crept up on it from the side of the engine and got stuck, hit it with a stick but now will have to grow another three fingers and arms a foot longer to reach the beast to get it off plug off the hole and search the danfoss database - have you seen how many there are on there?


Ian

 

[DAKA]

Agreed Ian, just change like for like.

Otherwise you will have to change all the pipes too, I guess they are green with a white nylon spring inside, they will have shrunk and will not fit a new installation, they will be rigid.

To get them off, dont cut them, pour boiling water on them and then pull them off, before they cool grease the fitting, put it back on and wait for it to cool.

Now it should come off and be ready to go onto your new head .

 

[iangrant]

FIXED

Took off the odd delay switch and the nut had fallen off the end of the shaft plunger,

New nut fitted, re-assembled and all back working. Guess I should have checked the switch first doh.

Ian

 

[DavidJ]

It depends. The ones that sit on a plinth need a bit of space under the plinth, but the ones designed to sit on floor level (for shower rooms that have a flat floor and no plinth) don't need any space underneath. The website gives good drawings anyhow

The problem for me was the outlet pipe. The S37 has a hull stringer just where the pipe would run. Just a bit of bad luck really and probably the only boat where you can't convert. So I'm stuck with the 'wake the marina up' Jabsco electric conversion.

There are other (lesser) makes which have more external outlet pipes which might fit, but I've put the project on hold and enjoying boating instead.